No prison for man convicted of 2007 Flint shooting death of Timothy Cooke

Timothy Cooke was shot to death by Demorreaia Henry during an apparent robbery while sitting in his car in Howard Estates in January 2007.File Photo

FLINT, MI -- A 20-year-old man who was 14 years old when he killed a man on Flint's south side in 2007 will go free without serving time in prison, a judge ruled today

Judge Joseph J. Farah ordered on Tuesday, Jan. 15, that the case against 20-year-old Demorreaia D. Henry is over after Henry lived up to the terms of his "blended sentence."

Henry pleaded guilty Aug. 12, 2008, to manslaughter and assault with intent to rob while armed for shooting Timothy Cooke to death in an apparent robbery as Cooke sat in his car at Howard Estates in January 2007.

Under the guidelines of Henry's blended sentence, he was originally sent into the juvenile detention system but could eventually be sent to prison by Farah.

However, Henry's attorney, John Tosto, said that his client exceeded expectations, allowing the judge to deescalate Henry in April and finally end the criminal case without sending him to prison.

In April, Farah allowed Henry to be transferred from the W.J. Maxey Training School in Whitmore Lake to a less-secure facility in Brighton to continue his rehabilitation.

"A great reputation is made by many acts ... and destroyed by one," Farah told Henry in April, adding that if he made any mistakes he would be sent to prison.

But Tosto said Henry thrived under the zero-tolerance policy set by the judge. Henry completed high school, found a job and grew socially while in the juvenile system.

Now, Tosto says, his client plans to attend college in hope of making a better life.

Cooke's family could not immediately be reached for comment, but some voiced concerned after Farah's April decision.

"I will never forgive him," said Cooke's aunt, Betty Timm. "I will never forget what happened."

"It's just not fair. Four years for committing a murder, for taking a life."